Medical Terms
Angina
Cardiac pain due to poor blood supply to the heart.
Arrest
Used in a medical sense, this means a cessation of bodily activity (for example, cardiac arrest means that the heart has stopped beating and respiratory arrest means cessation of breathing).
Ataxia
A jerky unsteadiness of the limbs and body due to disease in a particular part of the brain.
CPR
Cardio-Pulmonary-Resuscitation (active combined resuscitation of the heart and lungs).
Dementia
Partial or total loss of personality and other significant mental functions, due to mental deterioration, but without psychosis.
Dyspnea
Difficulty Breathing.
Emphysema
A lung disease with loss of lung tissue. Occurs in cigarette smokers.
Epistaxis
Bleeding of the nose.
Hematemesis
Vomiting of pure blood or blood mixed with stomach contents.
Hematoma
Medical name for a well demarcated 'bruise'.
Hematuria
Blood in the urine.
Hemoptysis
Coughing up of blood.
Hemorrhage
Loss of blood from the body, either internally or externally.
Hyperglycemia
A blood sugar level above normal, which is indicative of diabetes.
Hypertension
Blood pressure above normal; sometimes inaccurately used to describe stress.
Hypoglycemia
A low blood sugar level, usually due to an excessive insulin dose.
Hypotension
Low blood pressure.
Ischemia
Lack of blood supply to an area of the body. For example, cardiac ischaemia, which may cause angina. If severe, cardiac ischaemia may cause a heart attack.
MOI
Mechanism of Injury.
Miocardial Infarction
Onset of sudden damage to part of the heart muscle, usually due to blockage of the heart's (coronary) arteries. Synonymous with a heart attack, often called "MI".


General Terms
Still Alarm
An alarm that has no emergency associated with it. Ex: a vehicle leaking fuel, rescuing ducks from a storm drain, or a basement filled with water. No members or apparatus are to run any warning lights or sirens.
Local Alarm
Anything that is not a potential structure fire. Examples: vehicle accidents, brush fires, vehicle fires, other technical rescue assignments and miscellaneous fires.
Box Alarm
The order in which companies are due, the first number is who's call it is, and then the next number is the mutual aid company due. An example would be the 5-2-60 box, this is a call in New Columbia (company 5), backed up by Lewisburg (company 2) and ALS paramedics from Evanangelical Hospital (Medic 60).


WCEC Qualifications and Ranks
Crew Chief (CC)
An experienced EMT who has completed a Crew Chief checklist. He/she is responsible for the operations of the ambulance crew and acts as the primary care-giver for the patient.
Fire Fighter First Class (FFFC)
A firefighter who has completed a Firefighter First Class checklist. FFFC provides you with full rank and privilege. The yellow stripe is removed from your helmet and you are given a new helmet with your name on the shield. You can now board the engines without an officer's permission and it is expected that you can operate safely without constant supervision. The FFFC focuses on engine company operations and structural fire fighting so while it is by no means the end of your training, it is an accomplishment of which you should be proud. It typically takes at least two semesters of training at the station to complete the FFFC check sheet.
Yellow Stripe
A relatively inexperienced firefighter, designated by the yellow stripe running down the center of the helmet. Yellow stripes have not met the qualifications of FfFC yet, and can only perform supervised firefighting operations at the discretion of a line officer. All new members of WCEC start as yellow stripes.